March 18, 2021

Sunrise Hammock Cuddles The Best Way To Say I LOVE YOU Before I Do

Colorado Elopement Photography

Sunrise Hammock Cuddles The Best Way To Say I LOVE YOU Before Pledging Their Love to One Another Forever. 

Sunrise Hammock Cuddles The Best Way To Say I LOVE YOU Before Pledging Their Love to One Another Forever.

Serendipity ~ Finding something beautiful without looking for it.   

And, so it was.  Somewhere, somehow across the distance of working in different states and social media messages with a handsome guy, I found my greatest adventure.  We weren’t complete strangers though, as we’d met 15 years earlier through my late niece Krystal at her Quinceañera in East Texas.  After she gained her Heavenly wings, I connected with many of her friends on social media.  No one could have ever convinced me that one particular “Friend” would someday become my husband and partner in life.  Serendipity.   

Honestly, I don’t believe either one of us was really looking for a partner at the time.  I was busy with my career and single mom life in Dallas.  He was on a work project near Denver as his work took him across the United States for extended periods of time.  And even though we had pretty much grown up in East Texas about 15 miles apart, our paths crossed later in life and 1,000 miles between us.  God’s plan for my life has always been so much greater than anything I’ve wanted for myself.  And it was one sweet inbox message from Cody Wolfe that set the wheels of our love story in motion.    

We’ve talked about that first message over the years.  How we both second guessed sending it and replying to it.  We laugh now.  What if?  What if he hadn’t sent that to me?  What if I would have chosen not to reply to someone I had only met once?  I’m glad we will never know.  “After all, soulmates always end up together” – Cecilia Ahern.  We have found our best selves as we’ve grown together for six years.  We often get asked why it took so long to get married?  And our answer remains the same…we are on “our” timeline, this is “our” story.  We write it as it comes to us, and we actually wing it most of the time.  That’s just who we are. 

The Couple:

Cody + Rosie

But who are we?  Well, I can say that I am not the person I always was.  This soft spoken, caring, generous and hard-working gentleman introduced me to a world I didn’t think I’d ever want to know.  I am far from being an “outdoorsy” girl, but he managed to convince me to trade my heels for hiking boots.  We’ve been fishing, snow skiing, camping and hiking which were all firsts for me.  Little did he know, he’d be amid sparkle and glitter as my daughter recruited him for whatever crafting, baking, or YouTube/Tik Tok project she had discovered and wanted to try.  Watching them become “besties” is probably the greatest gift and that which warms my heart the most.  I do believe that DNA doesn’t make a family, LOVE does.   

After becoming engaged in 2018 along the Gore Creek Trail in Vail, we talked about where we’d get married and what we would do.  Oddly enough, we never discussed when we would do it.  We knew we wanted something small.  And as I shared my greatest sorrow, that my Dad would not be able to walk me down the aisle, it was then that elopement entered our planning.  We knew we weren’t Vegas people nor beach people, so what else could there be?  Perhaps we could elope to Colorado.  We had met there, vacationed there, and become engaged there so it made perfect sense.   

Why An Elopement 

I still remember the day I did a hashtag search on Instagram for #coloradoelopement and the beauty of the pictures filled my phone screen.  I was overwhelmed!  Yes, this was it!  I sent screenshots to Cody and then I noticed the common thread; every shot I sent was by the same photographer.  Justyna Butler Photography is who we wanted to capture our greatest adventure to date.  Please let her be available I thought.  Cody and I discussed possible dates for Fall 2020 before reaching out to her.  Our first choice was 10/10/2020.  It had such a perfect ring to it, ten ten twenty twenty, but even I know that these types of dates book years in advance.  I reached out and we set up a conference call.  Gosh, what an amazing soul this adventure seeking photographer was.  I felt as if I were talking to an old friend.  I held my breath as she checked her appointment calendar.  She said it was available, but she checked twice more to make sure.  Yes, it was!  Our elopement adventure was secured for October 10, 2020.   

We kept our elopement to ourselves for many reasons, and only told our parents and siblings a couple of weeks in advance.  Additionally, Covid-19 was in full-force now in 2020, so we weren’t sure if National Parks would be open or if vendors would be able to deliver.  Justyna was always up-to-date and knowledgeable about rules in place and many options available.  We always had a plan A, B and C, but in the end, we winged it anyway due to the Colorado fires raging nearby.  I told Justyna she wasn’t just an extraordinary elopement photographer, but a top–notch wedding planner from 1,000 miles away.  Our wedding day has been our greatest adventure to date.  How many people can say they hiked in a wedding dress and suit at 12,000 ft?  Probably not many. 

Wedding Advice From the Couple

Do you know what it feels like to stand on a mountaintop under the twinkling of the brightest stars as you breathe in the cold, crisp mountain air?  Do you know how perfect it feels to hold your partner’s hand in silence just smiling because there are no words that capture this moment?  Do you know what it’s like to be awestruck and giddy at the same time while you wait for sunrise with the man you have prayed for so many times?  I do.  And it’s pure magic. 

We do.  We did.  We eloped.  10.10.2020  ~ Rosie & Cody Wolfe 

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